The 3 other Queensland finalists

You all know about Michael Lyddiard, these are the 3 other Queensland finalist that are in the same category for 2017 Dr Nora Amath Humanitarian Building bridges is what Dr Nora Amath does best. Born in Vietnam, Nora belongs to the Cham people, a Muslim minority. Nora and her family fled their homeland when she was just four, after facing persecution from the communist regime. Finding refuge in the United States, and later settling in Australia, Nora has become an internationally-respected expert in Islamic studies. Passionate about human rights, Nora draws on her academic insight to share stories of the Muslim world, and to enhance interfaith understanding between all people. Nora has also served on many boards and committees, has founded women’s shelters and youth groups and helped develop the first Muslim playgroup for mums in Brisbane. She’s helped refugees learn leadership skills, published books, obtained a PhD, all the while raising three children. The chairperson of the Australian Muslim Advocates for the Rights of All Humanity, Nora is also the Board secretary for Islamic Relief Australia, the largest Islamic humanitarian aid agency in the world. Professor Alan Mackay-Sim Biomolecular scientist An inspirational scientist and international leader in stem cell research, Professor Alan Mackay-Sim has given hope to thousands of Australians with spinal cord injuries. A global authority on the human sense of smell and the biology of nasal cells, Alan led the world’s first clinical trial using these cells in spinal cord injury. In 2014, Alan’s research played a central role in the world’s first successful restoration of mobility in a quadriplegic man. As the director of the National Centre for Adult Stem Cell Research for a decade, Alan’s research has championed the use of stem cells to understand the biological bases of brain disorders and diseases such as schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease and Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia. Alan’s pioneering work has led to collaborations with teams of health professionals who are translating his research into clinical practice. He has laid the foundation for the next generation of researchers and demonstrated the value of inquiry, persistence and empathy. Aimee McVeigh Human rights lawyer A distinguished community lawyer and leading human rights advocate, Aimee McVeigh is devoted to empowering marginalised and vulnerable people across the legal system. Well-respected by her peers and clients alike, Aimee was a driving force behind the push for a Queensland Human Rights Act. Aimee raised awareness through the media, galvanised support for the campaign and helped the community write more than 500 submissions to a parliamentary inquiry. She recently worked together with a local disability support service to establish Disability Law Queensland. As a director of this service, she provides legal advice to people with disability and their families. Aimee has also worked as a gender advisor to the United Nations special rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous peoples and created a best practice guide to help survivors of child sexual abuse engage with the Royal Commission. She’s also worked alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to improve their ability to access justice. https://www.facebook.com/Michael-Lyddiard-for-Australian-of-the-Year-2017-1593782847580950/